Sensation (SFW Version)

by Vivid Syntax


Chapter 43 - Fools' Gold

The next couple days were… incredible, really. Braeburn agreed to go on a date at the Baltimare Summer Sun Celebration that weekend, and as soon as he had, something in the air changed. Or maybe I just wasn't holding everything in anymore. Either way, things started going back to normal late that night. I got my pie, and we slept easily.

On Wednesday, I took my lunch break to plan out everything, and fortunately, a couple of the secretaries had some extra free time. I asked them to send a few well-placed letters and call in a few favors. By the time I was done with work, all I had to do was fill in a few gaps in my plan, which I was able to figure out on the flight home.

Braeburn and I spent time together again that night, and everything felt like it was supposed to again. We went grocery shopping without an escort, and besides a few fans, nopony bothered us. We cooked together, too, and even though I kept screwing up on the glaze for the fruit, Braeburn patiently helped me start over. We even cuddled for over an hour and fell asleep spooning.

And… Braeburn didn't drink. I wasn't keeping tabs on him or anything, but he was his usual self all night, and his breath wasn't sour. It made it easier, because our date seemed so far away. I was plummeting straight for the ground, but I couldn't see it yet. It was like it was hidden behind a giant cover of clouds, and it might as well have not been real. The day passed in the blink of an eye.

And Thursday was just as weirdly normal, too. I woke up to the smell of fried hay and cheese, and Braeburn and I talked about low-moisture farming throughout the whole meal. Braeburn offered to clean up as he walked me to the door. After a slight hesitation, he kissed me goodbye. "You gonna be back at your usual time, Big Blue? I'm thinkin' of makin' vagrants' bindles tonight."

I nuzzled him back. "I have no idea what that is, but I'll be here, Applebutt."

It felt bizarrely comfortable, like nothing had changed at all, like it had always been like this and we'd never fought about his drinking or how controlling I'd been. The world was serene, like an ornament that spins on a tree. The movement was slow and peaceful, and everything felt delicate and right.

But Braeburn was moving slower when I showed up at home that night. "Hey, Blue," he said in a low tone, his shoulders sagging as he took the bindles out of the oven. They were beautiful: bound, breaded asparagus spears stuck out of a large, knotted dumpling, like you could sling one over your shoulder and travel across the country.

I shook out my mane, pushing away a stray thought. My ear flicked as I focused on Braeburn again. "Uh, hey," I said as I set my saddlebag down. "You okay? It's okay if you had a drink today. I'm not disappointed."

Braeburn chuckled and shook his head. "Heh. You're not much of a disciplinarian, then, Blue." He set the bindles onto the plates. "But naw. I didn't touch it today. Just…" He shook his head and looked up at me with bright eyes. "These'll need to cool. Should leave us enough time to work through some comprehension exercises. You up for it?"

I tilted my head, and my wings itched. "Uh, sure!" I believed him about not drinking, but something gnawed at me. As we worked through the activity sheet together, seated side by side, I thought, 'We're not going to do this again, are we? We… only have a few days left.' My body felt heavy, and I kept dropping the pencil. He could feel it, too, and there was more silence between us than there had been for days.

Braeburn finally said something over dinner after we'd taken a few bites. The velvety dough and thick stew was melting in my mouth. "You're quiet tonight, Big Blue. Looks like you've been drinkin' as much as me."

I looked down as I lazily pushed my asparagus around the plate. "Thinking about our date."

Braeburn paused. "You still haven't told me what's up with that."

My eyes closed involuntarily. 'I don't want you to worry. Please don't worry.' I forced myself to perk up and smile. "Oh, no. You're not ruining the surprise that easily."

Braeburn just smiled at me, and it didn't come up again.

But I couldn't focus on us that night, even when we cuddled later that evening. I'd felt calm all day, but the closer it got to bed time, the more those thoughts rose to the top of my head. It started as a heart flutter and became a few lucid moments of anxiety, where my skin felt all wrong, and I had to keep reminding myself that I had a beautiful stallion wrapped around me. Braeburn had to spoon me for over an hour just so I could fall asleep. Held securely in his forelegs, I was able to put off thinking about the date a little longer.

But it really hit me on Friday morning while we were packing for the weekend. I set my black shirt, the one from Las Pegasus, into my suitcase, and… I just stopped. Stopped breathing, stopped moving. I was paralyzed. My heart felt like it would beat out of my chest, and my legs started shaking. Braeburn looked at me from across the bed. "What's wrong, Soarin'?"

I was dizzy. 'This is happening. I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this to either of us. We've been great this week.' Excuses crept into my thoughts. 'It could be like this all the time. He's getting better, and so am I. I could cancel everything. I should cancel–'

I sucked in a quick breath, slammed the suitcase closed, then I looked up and smiled. "I don't want to spoil it."

Braeburn frowned. "Soarin', you don't…" He trailed off and looked away.

My wings stiffened a bit, and my head lowered. "What?"

Braeburn shook his head and smiled back at me. "Nothin'. It's gonna be a great weekend."

Braeburn had packed almost everything he owned, which admittedly wasn't a lot: he had his clothes, his pink Las Pegasus shirt, toiletries, his writing equipment ("In case I want to work on my report"), and a few other trinkets. He left his flask, though, saying he didn't want to be tempted, and I was proud of him. I was glad he was a thorough packer, but it still pained me to see that suitcase with so much of his life in it, ready to slip away.

As we were leaving, I glanced into the parlor and hesitated. "Whitewing's Big Score" was still on the shelf. I thought about grabbing it, but I didn't want to be suspicious. 'I can send it to him later, when–' I wouldn't let myself finish, and as much as I wanted Braeburn to be able to take one last look at our home, I didn't think I could hold myself together for long enough. I rushed us out the door and locked it with a trembling hoof.

The sky cab down to Manehattan was silent. Braeburn and I looked out our respective windows, a gulf between us. Maybe it was for the best, though. I was wrestling with my thoughts the whole way, and as much as a cold pain at the back of my mind kept telling me to call the date off, I told myself, 'You've got to do this, Stormcloud. For Braeburn.'

Fortunately for my sanity, the other 'Bolts met us at the train station shortly after we arrived, and management quickly herded us into the cars. Braeburn and I got a small cabin to share with Streak and Spitfire. The ride would only take a couple hours, but everypony was just kinda bleh. Maybe it was the fact that we hadn't had practice that day, or maybe I was just projecting again, but the whole world felt overcast.

After a few minutes of conversation, we all pulled out books to read. Streak had a nonfiction book about the first Summer Sun Celebration, and Spitfire had one of those classics, "Hoof of Darkness." When they saw that I was reading "Happy Puppy's Big Adventure," though, they exchanged quick glances and slowly slid their books back into their saddlebags.

We ended up swapping stories about past Summer Sun Celebrations for the rest of the trip. The conversation was wooden, though, and as thankful as I was for the distraction, I knew it was only a matter of time before it all crashed down on me.

As some point, Spitfire said to Streak, "You should be proud of yourself, Fire Streak. Not many captains get to lead in the Summer Sun show so quickly."

Streak smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe sometime I'll actually get to lead the real show."

My eyes widened. 'Wait… shit.'

Spitfire held up a hoof to Streak's chest. "Hold on, captain. Every show is a real show. Just because the Saturday morning performance is shorter doesn't–"

"Actually," I interjected. They both turned to me, and I said, "Uh, bro? Mind if I take the lead from you on Saturday? You can have Sunday."

Streak blinked at me. "Uh… sure? Why, though?"

Braeburn cocked an eyebrow at me. "This part of your plan for our date, Soarin'?"

I stifled a scream. 'No, it's just the last show of mine you'll ever see.' I shook my head and swallowed the lump in my throat. "Kinda. Just…" I looked up. "You've got this, Streak. You deserve to be the star this weekend."

Streak blinked a few times, then he puffed up his chest and forced a smile. "Uh, sure! Thanks, bro. I won't let you down."

I leaned into Braeburn with my shoulder. "It's gonna be great. Hope you don't mind waking up early."

Braeburn's eyes were wide and sad, but he smiled. "You forget who you're talkin' to? Wakin' up at sunrise counts as sleepin' in where I'm from." He pressed against me. "I'd never miss it."

The train station in Baltimare was crazy with ponies there for the celebration, and it took us longer to get to the hotel room with our security escorts than it had to take the train to Baltimare. We got to the hotel room after sunset, and management ordered room service for all of us so we wouldn't need to go out. Wave Chill tried to get us to sneak out with him, but we weren't really into it. Instead, we just went with our escort up to our hotel room.

The room was pretty simple. We were used to living in style, but the military tends to give up the most luxurious rooms when we perform alongside civilians. With all the music performers and other VIPs taking up the suites, we were left with the more normal room. The 'Bolts don't mind, though. It's just courtesy.

Our room had a coffee table, a minibar, and a writing desk, along with one of those ugly, awkward chairs that always take up too much space. There was a bathroom with an extra-large shower and smooth tile everywhere. The gem lamps were a soft yellow color, and the bed was a king-sized, like I'd requested. For a second, my mind flashed back to the hotel in Appleloosa.

We both collapsed onto the clean sheets as soon as we walked into the room, letting our bags drop onto either side of it. Braeburn moaned as he rolled onto his back and rubbed his temples with his forehooves. "Hoo! Don't know why I'm so tired after sittin' all day."

I was on my stomach with my chin resting on a pillow. "Eh, travel's stressful. I think it's all the unfamiliar noises and stuff. Messes with your head." I turned my face towards him. "Heh. Remember the train ride to Ponyville? We went freaking nuts."

Braeburn chuckled. "Ha! How could I forget? That was when you got that scary bruise outta nowhere." He turned on his side and scooted a little closer, pawing at my shoulder. "Least it wasn't as bad as ridin' to my parents' house with a sleepy pegasus on top of me. I was convinced I'd have to drag you in and flop you down in front of 'em."

"Hey! I needed beauty rest." I scooted closer and bumped him with my nose. "We were both stressed, and I didn't want them to think I was some sleep-deprived lunatic."

Braeburn leaned in closer, and our noses touched. "But you are a sleep-deprived lunatic."

I batted him playfully with my hoof. When I set it down, it rested on his. "Well, yeah, but I didn't want to seem like one. And I think I did pretty well. Your dad likes me, and I think your mom came around, so I didn't come off as totally insane, at least."

Braeburn smiled and ran his free hoof through my mane, crawling just a bit closer to do so. He flicked his tail, which landed on mine. "Maybe, but would a sane pony come crashing through an apple orchard and steal a poor little earth pony's heart like you did?"

I closed the gap between us and wrapped my legs around him. "I dunno. What kind of whack job would follow him all across Equestria and live in a place with no trees?"

Braeburn snickered. "He'd have to be pretty in love to do somethin' like that." We nuzzled each other and shared an easy, quiet laugh. When he rubbed his face against my neck, I could swear it felt a little wet. "I'm not really sure what your plans are for tomorrow, but do you… wanna do it tonight?"

I sighed. "Yeah, but…" My blood was already beginning to pump harder, but I said, "Maybe we should save it for tomorrow."

Braeburn shrugged. "Yeah. Makes sense."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

We lay there, looking into each other eyes with our tails flicking behind us and our bodies pressed together, and I saw him. Like, I saw him again, sharing a bed with me, and we exchanged sad, exhausted smiles. It's amazing to me how you can fall in love with somepony over and over and over again, and all it takes is a look.

We didn't stand a chance. I fell asleep exhausted, sticky, and satisfied, my coltfriend holding me close.

* * * * *

Soarin' sits, head down, eyes closed, and with a hoof on his forehead. He calmly takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly through his mouth with a whoosh noise. He softly sets his hoof down and looks to the horizon. "I woke up in Braeburn's forelegs, just a few minutes before the wake-up call."

* * * * *

My shoulder felt hot and wet. Braeburn had wrapped his lips around it, and as he breathed, he suckled on it slightly. My head swam with that warm, fuzzy delirium you get right after waking up, when it's just you and your lover in the warm covers together. I held still, letting Braeburn keep nibbling on me until we heard a knock and a pony shouting about a wake-up call.

Braeburn startled, and as he shifted behind me, I said a raspy, "Yeah, we're up." The attendant didn't respond, so I stretched out my legs in front of me while the heaviness in my body dissolved. I blinked a few times and saw faint city lights outside the window. We hadn't closed the curtains, and since it was, you know, the Summer Sun Celebration, we had to wake up hours before sunrise.

Braeburn smacked his lips. "Hm? Aw, shoot." He wiped my shoulder with his fetlock. "Sorry, Big Blue. Hope I didn't keep you up."

"Nah. I liked it." I rolled halfway back and grabbed his head, bringing him in for a long, wet kiss. He had a little of my fur in his mouth. We parted, and I brushed his face. "Morning, Applebutt. Sleep well?"

Braeburn paused. His ear flicked, and finally, he smiled. "Ya' know, yeah. I did. Surprisingly." He scooted closer and hugged my head to his chest. "I had a pretty good pillow."

I mashed my face into his warm chest. 'I love this,' I thought. 'Favorite part of the morn–'

I stiffened.

Braeburn's voice got lower. "Somethin' wrong, Blue?" He squeezed tighter.

'Don't blow it.' I took a deep breath. "Just… remembering what day it is. Date day." It wasn't technically lying, but those words felt heavy in my mouth. The world came flooding back, and I realized that I might have just woken up next to Braeburn for the last time. Even as I clung to him, I still felt cold.

"…Sure," he said stiffly. He kissed the top of my head. "But you have a show first, right?"

"Yeah, it's…" I looked up at his sparkling eyes. "I'll make it the best."

He stroked my neck and massaged me between my wings. "Heh. Then, uh, you don't wanna be late. Shower?"

My eyes batted. "Together?"

He smiled. "Of course."

We stumbled to the shower, and I turned it on. The hot steam quickly filled the small room, and we climbed in together. For a moment, neither of us made a move. We just stood there with our bodies pressed together, feeling the soothing heat wake us up together.

But once I realized how long we'd been standing there, I grabbed the soap and a rag. I took my time cleaning him, and I gently touched all over, appreciating his thick shoulders, his bright face, strong legs, fantastic ass, and his soft tail. I explored every curvature of his body, and a few times, I caught myself frowning and shaking my head, and I gave him an extra-long kiss when I was done. Braeburn gave me the same treatment, even preening my wings near the joints where I can never reach. He even sang a little song as he did it, and these days, I sing that same song every time I shower.

We dried off, and Braeburn helped me put on my flight suit. He looked up at my ear. "Want me to take care of that?"

I glanced up to where the little yellow stud hugged my ear comfortably. "Yes, please."

Gently, he took my stud out and discreetly pinned it inside my suit, next to my heart. "You look–" His voice cracked. He looked away, then quickly stepped forward and hugged me. As he stroked my mane, he whispered, "You look good, Blue."

A thought flashed across my mind. 'Does he…' I shook my head and hugged back. My Applebutt was with me, and that's what mattered. "Thanks, Applebutt. Today's show is just for you."

Braeburn grabbed his backstage pass from the pile of them that he'd put in his suitcase. I'd gotten him one for this show, too, just like I had for the whole rest of the season, and we each grabbed our saddlebags before we headed out. We met the rest of the 'Bolts downstairs, and even that early in the morning, a few families were getting ready for the day. Management passed out some breakfast packs, and I was able to snag an extra for Braeburn. After we'd slammed some food, a large, clean bus picked us up, and with a little whining to management, I got Braeburn aboard, too.

The bus was quiet. A few of the Wonderbolts whispered about their nights or how excited they were for the big show, but mostly, everypony tried to get some extra sleep. Braeburn, too. He just… leaned on me the whole way, and I kept him wrapped in a wing as the scenery rolled by.

My head pressed against the cold window as gravity pulled me down harder than usual. I took a deep breath, which fogged up the glass. 'What am I doing?' As groggy as I should have been on so little sleep, everything that was happening was frighteningly clear, and between remembering all the ways I'd failed Braeburn over the past three months or so, I thought, 'What kind of last date is this? I'm making him get up early, and we're not even spending the whole day together. I'm at work, for fuck's sake. He'll be exhausted by the end of the day, and he deserves better than this. I won't even be able to go through with it. I'm just going to botch it, and then where will we be?' My heart started to lift as I thought, 'I should wait for another weekend. I can't do this now.'

But Braeburn sighed. He'd fallen asleep against my shoulder, and as I started picturing him trapped back in Cloudsdale, I clenched my jaw and screwed my eyes shut. 'But I'm going to try, Braeburn. I promise I'll try.'

Braeburn stirred as the bus rocked to a stop at the performance site. We were in a small lot that was set behind a massive stage, easily forty meters across, and tech ponies were setting up the curtains and testing the giant lights, putting the finishing touches on an immaculate, elegant scene. The stage sat before a sprawling plain that rose slightly and then angled up more quickly, like a natural amphitheater. It was a fantastic space, and it looked like it could accommodate the thousands and thousands of ponies that would come out for the celebration. At the top of the hill were a few rows of bleachers, and security ponies patrolled the area. Small clouds dotted the sky, ready to seat as many pegasi as possible. Our warmup area sat behind the main stage and was barricaded off. It was just out of sight of most of the grassy area, and it left us plenty of room to prepare.

Braeburn groaned and looked up. "Hm? We're here already?"

"Yeah," I mumbled. I kissed him between the ears. "Cheer loud for me, Applebutt."

He smiled. "You're the only one I'll be watchin'."

I followed Braeburn off the bus. We hugged again, but Spitfire quickly called out for everypony to shake off their sleepiness and start stretching. I complied, and after another quick goodbye, I watched Braeburn, escorted by security and with a few other guest ponies, walk off to a special seating area for VIPs. As soon as he was out of eyesight, the thoughts came back. 'I'm being cruel. I'm manipulating him again. Even if he does leave me, he should be able to do it on his own terms. I'm forcing his hoof. He deserves the perfect day, and–' The stud poked at my heart. I ground my teeth and swore under my breath. 'And I'll keep it together for you, Applebutt, because I love you.'

Soon, Spitfire stood up and shouted, "Alright, foals, form up!" Everypony quickly fell into line, and Fire Streak and I stood crisply at either side of her. "Some of you look like you haven't gotten your beauty rest. Well, tough luck! This weekend is the most important set of shows for the season, and you will perform your best. Is that clear?"

The large team, made up of just about every pony that wasn't in the reserves, shouted back, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

"Good! Now, last minute changes." A few Wonderbolts sucked in quick, tiny breaths, and Spitfire pointed a hoof at one of them. "Don't get shaken! Besides, I'm not cutting any of you. Captain Windsong will be replacing Fire Streak during today's performance. I imagine he'd like to tell you why."

I straightened up as they turned their attention to me. I stood tall, and I spoke evenly, letting my duties as captain distract me from everything else. "Wonderbolts, I don't need to tell you what a big show this is for you. The Summer Sun Celebration is a crown jewel for our organization. It's the defining show that stretches back just over a thousand years to the days of General Firefly and the first formation of the Wonderbolts." Eyes gleamed as my team remembered their shared history. I told myself, 'Keep 'em going,' and spoke even more firmly. "The shows have evolved, but just for today, our routine will hearken back to the stunts performed by our ancestors. It's a lot of pressure, but I have faith in you. You're becoming a part of history today, Wonderbolts, some of you for the first time, and you owe it to yourselves and to your predecessors to give it everything you've got. And…" My voice weakened just slightly.

Several of the 'Bolts turned their heads a few degrees.

I took another breath. "And this is a very important show for me, too. I want to ask you, not only as your captain, but as your friend, to give it your all. Can you do that for me?"

I could feel the electricity rising in them. No, they didn't know what was going on, but they could feel my sincerity. They straightened up with perfect military crispness and responded, "Sir, yes, sir!"

I smiled. "Thank you." I felt a weird heat on the side of my face. "And don't worry. Spitfire will freaking destroy me later for pulling this." The crowd laughed, but in seconds, they were back to being dead serious. I firmly strapped on my goggles and shouted, "Praemia Virtutis Honores! Let's do this!"

My Wonderbolts responded in kind, and I knew there would be no stopping us.

We lined up at the edge of the staging area as the twilight began to illuminate the world. Ponies had filled in the hillside, and soon enough, we saw her: pulled on a sky chariot, Princess Celestia descended from somewhere unseen, and the crowd went wild. We only really caught a glimpse of her before she was on the opposite side of the curtains, but it didn't take long for her to give her short speech. The light from her horn shone around the stage, and the stomps of approval grew and grew as she took flight, straight up into the air without even a beat of her wings. She raised herself high above the crowd, high enough to see from behind the stage, and behind her rose the sun. It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring, and everypony there was at rapt attention.

That's what Sightseer told me, anyway. I was watching Braeburn the whole time. He was a little yellow dot among a sea of ponies, but he stood out like he was the only one there. I saw him squint and smile at the sunlight, and deep in my heart, I knew what I was doing was right. I wanted to make him smile, no matter what it cost me.

Spitfire called out, "Wonderbolts! Positions!"

I snapped out of my reverie, and we all fell into our line. When she gave the signal, we went for it. 'This is for you, Brae. One last show.' My wings locked into place, and right on time, I took flight.

It was over in an instant.

By the time I'd realized it, we were making our pass over the crowd, lightning contrails crackling behind us. Even without moving my head, I spotted him, one hoof on his hat to keep it from blowing off. Seeing him smile, my mind had never been so clear, and my moves had never been so flawless. I hit every beat perfectly, from punching through the center of the aerial flower formation to leading the rise and fall of the Icaranian Sun Salutation. I flowed, and as much as it hurt to see a squad mate a quarter beat behind on some of the turns (not that anypony in the audience would notice), I knew Braeburn was watching me, and for him, I could deliver a perfect flight. With every twist of my wings, the yellow stud lightly poked my chest, right where Braeburn had put it, and as we spiraled down to the landing area after the last stunt, the crowd losing their minds, I realized that it had been perfect.

I landed in our staging area and turned around to see Spitfire staring at me, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. I flashed a grin. "Jealous?"

She paused and nodded slightly, not blinking. "…Yeah. I am."

I winked at her. "Captain for a reason." I turned to my team. "Good work, everypony. It–" I saw Braeburn galloping towards me, a security pony huffing as he chased after him. "Uh, it was great! Super proud of you! Meet at the hotel lobby tomorrownoonOKAYDISMISSED!" It was unprofessional, but screw it. I beat my wings and flew straight for him, smiling brighter than Celestia's sun.

And halfway there, it hit me. 'That was it.' My flight path faltered.

But Braeburn wouldn't let me stay down. He plucked me out of the air and twirled me around with his strong forelegs. "Blue, that was phenomenal!" He set me down and kissed me eight times. "Best I've ever seen!" He kissed me again. "You were spectacular!"

I hugged him tightly. "All for you, babe." My heart started feeling heavy, but I knew I couldn't slow down. Between kisses, I took off my flight suit and stuffed it into my saddlebag, and Braeburn helped me put my stud back into my ear. We quickly pulled on our favorite button-up shirts – black for me, pink for Braeburn, the ones we'd gotten in Las Pegasus – and I jerked my head towards the area with the cabs as Braeburn stuffed his hat inside his bag. "C'mon. Let's go, before that security guard catches his breath and arrests you."

We galloped towards the cabs, racing to find one before the crowds of ponies got bored with the other festivities. Braeburn laughed and asked, "Where we goin'?"

I knew what was coming, but until it arrived, I was going to give him the day of his life. We still had time to freefall.

I smiled at him. "Someplace quiet."

* * * * *

I take a short breath. "Did–"

Soarin' interrupts without looking at me. "Hey, just–" He shakes his head, his whole body deflated. "Sorry. I… just really want to get through this."

* * * * *

The Baltimare Museum of Industry was having a special exhibit that weekend. It focused on Baltimare's transformation from farming settlement to metropolis, with special attention on the leaders that helped shape it into the city it is today. We spent hours and hours looking at the artifacts and demonstrations. Braeburn flitted from exhibit to exhibit, talking rapidly about how some of it looked like it came right out of Appleloosa or how they could use one of the tools on the frontier, and his eyes sparkled.

His mouth moved as fast as he did, and for once, I just let him go off. "Holy moly! I didn't even know they made plows this shape. I wonder if it'd be better for the looser dirt out in the desert. Heh heh. I suppose I'd have to ask the colts out in the orchard and the fields what they would want, since I ain't been much for plowin' lately. Hope they ain't mad at me about it, but then again, I ain't the biggest earth pony, and it is how they earn their livin'. Aw, jeez, Pa'd think I'm goin' soft if he heard me talkin' about all this, but I suppose it's best for everypony to help in the way they can. Plus, he ain't one to judge, especially lately, heh heh." Braeburn looked at me with a broad grimace on his face, his tail wagging like a puppy's. "You ever pulled a plow before, Soarin'?"

I stifled a laugh. "I don't think I have, Br–"

He pointed to the yoke of the plow. "It's actually kinda satisfying, feelin' the earth move because you want it to. You gotta be careful, though, because you can hurt yourself real easy if you ain't hooked up right, and the yoke needs to be properly sized, but they can actually be pretty comfortable if they fit. Heh heh. Just ask Big Mac. Some ponies use some extra padding, but I've found that they tend to chafe instead of help, and…"

Braeburn kept going, and I didn't stop him. I let myself bask in his energy and soak it all in, and it was so, so worth it.

We took turns reading the plaques that hung below the portraits of famous ponies, most of them with ridiculous facial hair, and Braeburn helped me with a lot of the more obscure or bizarre words. Despite everything going through my head, I learned a ton.

When our hooves got tired, we sat in a small side room on our own, which had padding on a section of the floor. Braeburn rested his head on my shoulder while I kept a wing around him, like I had been all day. We stared at a mural that took up an entire wall. It stretched at least seven meters wide and three high, and it was a painting based off of a bunch of old photos. The left side showed the city in its settler days, sepia-toned and with slightly blurry lines. As our gaze moved left to right, the image seamlessly melted into an era of early growth with more buildings and better technology. A little further to the right, it did it again, over and over and all the way through to the present day, creating a visual timeline of the city's history. Important landmarks and ponies were referenced along the bottom with more portraits, creating a panorama view of the city and the ponies that had built it up over time.

I squeezed Braeburn with a wing. "This is gonna be Appleloosa someday."

"You think so?" It was almost sarcastic, and I could hear the confidence in his voice. "Yeah. Definitely."

"Totally." I kissed him near the bottom of his ear. "You're going to be more famous than me."

"Heh heh," he snickered. "Hardly. There ain't much of a market for historical figure lunchboxes."

"Maybe not, but you're doing something important. Lasting. I'm just here to make an organization look good. I'm not improving anypony's life or anything."

"One pony's, at least." He looked up at me and, after a pause, rested on my shoulder again. He sighed. "And it's not like I've done much for Appleloosa lately. I'm not there."

For a moment, I realized we were falling again.

A set of hooves clopped against the floor behind us, but it sounded like whoever they belonged to just peeked into the room and left. Soon enough we were sitting in the utter silence again.

Braeburn set his hoof next to mine, and he scooted closer so that his flanks and his side were pressed as close to mine as they would go. "I keep… askin' myself if…"

My eyes widened, and I wanted to puke as a wave of nausea washed over me and stole my breath away. I felt lightheaded, and my wing loosened a little. 'Is this it? Don't pull up. Don't go back. Let it happen.' Weakly, I asked, "What is it, Applebutt?"

Braeburn shook his head against my shoulder. "Never mind."

Relief washed over me, but I refused to embrace it. I didn't want to pretend anymore. "It's… okay. You can tell me."

Braeburn gave a wooden laugh. "Haha. Nah. Just thinkin'. I don't really want to talk about it right now. I don't wanna think about it, either."

I felt like I was tumbling through the sky, but I latched onto the first thought that felt right. "I'm here whenever you're ready."

Braeburn hugged my leg. "You're sweet, Blue. There's just a lot I don't know."

I held myself together, and I held Braeburn closer. "You'll figure it out, Braeburn, and… someday, that'll be you in the mural." I swallowed hard and pictured Braeburn being a celebrated hero, getting his own section in the history books, and I smiled. "I can't wait to see it."

Braeburn was quiet.

I knocked my nose against his. "Better start growing your beard now."

Braeburn chuckled loudly, and the tension drained from both our bodies. He leaned into me hard. "Hell no. My coltish looks are how I get anythin' done. The mares in town think I'm adorable, and the stallions ain't threatened by me."

I snickered. "See? You know how this game's played. It's just a matter of time before you've got a plaque of your own."

Without hesitating, he said, "I want your name on my plaque, too, Soarin'. You've done so much for me, and I want everypony to know it."

I looked down at him, but he just stared at the mural some more, so I rested my head on his. We spent the next twenty minutes gently holding onto each other, watching the past bloom into the present as the future rushed towards us. It was all happening too fast.

We wandered around the museum for a couple more hours, and I rented this weird, egg-shaped napping pod for us to take a quick rest in. We managed to squeeze both of us into one, and by some miracle, we caught a few z's, enough to keep us from crashing for the rest of the day. The fact that we had to hug each other to fit helped, too.

We grabbed a late lunch after that in the food court, but we had to eat pretty quickly once a few other ponies started recognizing us. After I gave out a couple headshots, they were pretty cool, but we didn't want to press our luck. As we trotted out of the museum, Braeburn said, "See? If you were a historical celebrity, we wouldn't have to worry about all of this."

The stroll through downtown Baltimare didn't last too long. The sidewalks and shops were crowded and dirty, and it was hard to hear each other over all the noise. Braeburn didn't like the city air, and as impressive as he said the buildings were, I could hear the hollowness of his compliments. I smirked and said, "You'll think differently when it's Appleloosa."

Braeburn blushed a little. "We'll see. It'll be a shame to lose the small-town charms, though."

I stepped closer to him as we dodged a couple that rushed by, and I walked close enough that our flanks bumped into each other. "Eh, as long as you're mayor, it'll be the most charming place in Equestria." He rolled his eyes, and I asked, "You up for some shopping?"

Braeburn tilted his head back. "You've got that look in your eye." He snuggled me. "So I can't wait to see what it is."

I wanted to give him one more memento, so we stopped by a shop I'd heard about from Sightseer: a place that makes custom quill pens out of feathers, and… yeah. I didn't make Braeburn yank one out, but we used one of mine, and I had it set in a gold handle with a nice ink set and a blue, velvet-lined case. The whole process only took a few minutes.

As we sat in the small, classy shop, Braeburn twisted the quill in his hooves, even running it along his face. He looked up at me. "This is really somethin' special, Big Blue. I'll think of you whenever I write."

My eyes glazed over, and I imagined Braeburn back at his desk outside Silverstar's office in Appleloosa. I pictured him writing his report about Appleloosa using a piece of me, and I smiled. "I hope you will."

We bounced around a few more stores, but Braeburn said he didn't want to buy anything else. I figured he didn't like shopping that much, but it gave us more time together. We stopped for coffee and just talked like we had back when we'd first met, going on about books and growing up and places we visited.

At some point, we were snuggled up on the grass in a small green square that might have technically been a park. Ponies milled around and rushed home or to their evening appointments, but the two of us just lay there, cuddling and enjoying each other's warmth.

Braeburn drained the last of his coffee. He looked into the empty cup for a moment, then set it down, lifted his eyes to me, and smiled. With a low, even tone, he said, "This has been a great day, Soarin'. Just perfect." He pressed his forehead against my cheek and dragged his face across mine, finishing with a kiss on the side of my face. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Braeburn." I looked up at a clock, and I frowned. It was already four-thirty. 'Where did it all go?' I wondered, brushing my tail against Braeburn's. 'It's… already so late.'

"What's on your mind, Blue?" Braeburn nudged me under my chin with his nose.

I sighed. "I don't want this day to end." I looked back down at my coltfriend.

Braeburn frowned. "I don't want it to, either." He moved a hoof on top of mine. "We can just stay here the rest of the day if you like. We don't need to rush."

"Heh. Actually, we kind of do. Sorry we're not cooking something together–" You know, that might've been the one time I was able to slip a casual lie past him. "–but I couldn't find a free kitchen, and if we're late for dinner, they'll cancel our reservation."

"On you?" he asked, cocking his head. "Do they know who you are?"

"Oh yeah, and I was barely able to get a seat as it is." I held him close. "I burned a lot of favors to get in, but they're too fancy to wait for us, especially during a holiday." Keeping my hoof on him, I stood up. "We should get going."

Braeburn stood up, too, and as we hailed a cab, he asked, "Soarin', how fancy is this place?"

I just smiled back at him.

Twenty minutes later, we were stepping out of an elevator onto the top floor of one of the highest skyscrapers in Baltimare. The ornately carved set of wooden double doors opened in front of us, and the twisted, inquisitive look on Braeburn's face was priceless. "The hell?"

'Hoof' is the most esteemed restaurant in Baltimare, and we walked in to see it packed with ponies. They're usually booked a month ahead of time, and if you've ever eaten there, you understand why. There's no menu: you show up, get seated, and eat and drink whatever the chefs have prepared for the evening, but you can make special requests if you, like, can't have cheese or something. They pride themselves on the "experience." This isn't some pretender, though. They earn their reputation with the most delicate, most meticulously crafted dishes on the coast, maybe in all of Equestria.

"Soarin'… why are there eight rusty bicycles hanging from the ceiling suspended by headless stuffed animals and rainbow-colored garlic?"

Iiiiit's also kind of a hipster joint.

Braeburn rubbed his chin. "And I'm pretty sure at least some of those handle bars are sex toys."

The host – a giant, curly beard with a scrawny blue pony attached to the back of it – greeted us at a wrought-iron-and-glass podium. "Misters Windsong and Apple! Lovely to see you. My name is Dewdrop, and I'll be your liaison this evening. Your table is ready, so brace yourselves for the experience of a lifetime. Follow me, please." He bowed and walked into the restaurant. Braeburn snickered, and then he jerked his head towards Dewdrop and rolled his eyes. I shrugged and rolled my eyes back, and we followed our host.

Dewdrop guided us deep into the dimly-lit restaurant, and I took a deep whiff of the rich, decadent smells that permeated the air. Each area had its own theme: one of the corners of the wide, multilevel space was made entirely of locally-produced artisanal carpentry, the upper floor was made out of reclaimed carnival equipment (complete with a full-sized carousel buffet), and the bar area had an ultra-sleek industrial theme, like somepony had gone nuts making a factory look clean. All along the windows were different booths with various beach themes, and our table was hidden behind a giant clamshell made out of warped plywood and painted an opalescent white.

As we walked around the edge of the clamshell, Braeburn gasped. "Oh, wow!" We had a surprisingly private booth with a gorgeous view. We could see all the way across the city, from the hill where the Wonderbolts had performed that morning to the vast cityscape to the roiling ocean. The window ran from the floor to the ceiling and was made of a single giant pane of glass that covered our field of view, and it really felt like we were sitting on a cloud with nothing between us and the world. The walls of the booth blocked out most of the noise from the restaurant and the view we had of the other tables. We sat down on a curved pink bench that surrounded an iridescent, white, circular table, and Braeburn's mouth stayed agape, his eyes wide and head shaking. "This is… incredible!" I threw a foreleg around Braeburn and held him close, basking in the joy that radiated off of him.

Another pony appeared, an earth pony with a solid build and a striped, old-fashioned apron. He was pushing a cart that had some drinks and two large, wooden boxes. The boxes had been delicately tied with ribbons that matched our fur colors. Yes, this new guy had a preposterous beard, too. "Good evening, gentlecolts. I'm Ochre Twilight, and I'll be serving you this evening. Have we had the pleasure of serving you before?"

Braeburn perked up. "Huh? Where'd Dewdrop go?"

I snickered. "They're pretty seamless here. They even have you pay first so you don't have to worry about leaving a tip or anything at the end." I turned to Ochre and jerked my head at Braeburn, who was still sneaking looks at the view. "I've been here, but he hasn't. Give him the shtick."

"Certainly," Ochre said as he set place settings and empty glasses on our table. He poured an orange liquid into our glasses. "Mister Windsong is correct: we try to anticipate your every need here at Hoof. Speaking of which, please enjoy these drinks, compliments of the chef: a peach-papaya nectar with cilantro-infused soda water, perfect for relaxing after a hard day, whether it was spent performing aerial stunts or harvesting apples." He winked at me. "And I must say, our head chef was very impressed with the show this morning, Mister Windsong."

Braeburn laughed. "Oh, you're good. Thank you." He reached for his glass but then stopped and grimaced. "Uh, are these…?"

Ochre smiled. "Mister Windsong requested virgins this evening, and while my mother would like to think I'm a chaste little colt, I'm afraid alcohol-free drinks are the best we could do." Braeburn and I laughed, and Braeburn kissed me on the cheek. Ochre continued. "We'll bring you more throughout the evening – that is, drinks that pair well with our pre-selected dishes – so you can just relax and enjoy the experience. Tonight's theme is 'A New Dawn Together.' Of course, if you want anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask us. Is there anything we can get you right away?" We shook our heads. "Let's get on with the show, then. Mister Windsong tells us tonight is special, so why not start with dessert?" He grabbed the wooden boxes and gently set them on opposite sides of the table – the one with the blue ribbon in front of me, yellow in front of Braeburn. Between them, he placed a large wooden screen that had been hoof-painted with tropical fish. "Of course, since we'll be busy with your other courses, we'd love to have your help putting it together."

Braeburn shot me a smile and a glare. I winked back at him.

We each pulled the ribbon on our boxes, and they unfolded seemingly magically to reveal several compartments full of edible craft supplies: squares of dough, different types of filling, sprinkles, glitter, and a paintbrush with several colors of glaze. Ochre explained that we'd be making each other's desserts, a pastry of our own design just for our partner, and that each of the materials was edible. We scooted across from each other and started right away, and I knew exactly what I wanted to build him.

Braeburn shook his head, and I could only really see his bright eyes above the screen. "And here you were apologizin' for not cookin' together."

I smirked. "You saying you don't like the surprise?"

"You kiddin'? I'm just worried you'll finish first!" He furiously grabbed more dough squares.

Braeburn and I both giggled as we worked on our treats. I tried to peek over the screen, but Braeburn caught me and swatted at me gently. A couple minutes later, Braeburn snickered and said, "Aw, hell!" He laughed into his hoof as he tried to cover up the fact that he was blushing.

I smiled. "Whaaaat?"

"I just… Aw, you'll see." He shook his head and mumbled, "Geez, Braeburn. Get your mind outta the gutter…"

I shrugged and went back to my own project. I'd made a lumpy, apple-filled ball out of two of the pastry squares, which I'd painted with the green glaze. I had to use a couple candy dowels, but I was able to make an apple-filled cylinder, which I painted brown. I stuck the green ball on top of it and added a few well-placed red sprinkles, and I raised a hoof and shouted, "Done!" It wasn't even remotely artistic, but you could at least tell what it was supposed to be.

"Excellent work, Mister Windsong," Ochre said as he appeared again and delicately wrapped up my pastry in the wooden box. "I'm sure he'll love it." He took a glance at Braeburn, who had just finished his, too. "Oh, that looks exquisite, Mister Apple. Allow me to deliver these to the bakery, and I'll bring them back out at the end of the meal. I'll be right back with your first course." He carefully wrapped up Braeburn's as well and took away the screen.

As Ochre wheeled away the cart with the desserts and all the supplies, Braeburn leaned on the table and laughed. "Heh heh. Never been to a restaurant that made me cook before." He reached across to me and grabbed my hoof. "I can't wait to see it."

I brought his hoof to my lips and kissed it. "Same here, Braeburn. I know you'll love it."

Braeburn smiled, and we looked into each other's eyes. Soft, serene music played in the background, and the clamshell we sat in muffled the noise of the nearby conversations. For the moment, it was just Braeburn and me again, looking at each other as our smiles grew, our hooves giving us a physical connection to mirror the one in our hearts.

Ochre appeared again, which startled Braeburn. "Gah!" He quickly withdrew his hoof and slid closer to me. Our flanks touched again.

Ochre put two oversized plates on our table. "Your first bite is a salad course: organic cucumber with shaved radish and chia seeds in our house-made vinaigrette. Enjoy!" He darted away.

Braeburn furrowed his eyes down at his plate. "They, uh… ain't big on portions, are they?" He wasn't wrong: each salad was literally two cucumber slices with a sliver of radish and seeds on a giant plate that had been artfully drizzled with dressing.

I snickered. "Don't worry. You won't go hungry."

With a raised eyebrow, he asked "Do the courses get bigger?" and poked a cucumber with his hoof.

I smiled. "No, but there are thirty of them."

Braeburn's eyes widened, and I'm happy to say that he wasn't disappointed. Every dish was prepared masterfully, from the wildflower dough balls coated in frozen orange cells to the fresh pasta in alfalfa and citrus pesto. Braeburn savored every bite. I loved watching him stretch each taste out as long as he could as his brain spun with ideas and the desire to make each dish himself. The whole dinner took hours, and between our bites, I never stopped looking at him, how he beamed whenever he tried something brand new and how he rolled his tongue around his mouth, trying to characterize what he was tasting. My heart glowed the entire time, and seeing him happy made all the rest of my fears melt away.

And so, time moved on, and we kept falling.

The second-to-last dish came and went, and Braeburn sighed as he flicked his tail against mine. "This is amazin', Blue. Thank you. I couldn't have picked a nicer place. Hell, I didn't even recognize a lot of those ingredients."

I wrapped a foreleg around him and stroked his shoulder. "You're welcome, Applebutt. I'm just glad you're happy. Did you get full?"

"Mm-hm! Mighty surprised, too. I wouldn't have thought it was really that much, but it adds up."

"Think you'll have room for dessert?"

Braeburn smiled ear to ear. "Aw, I can't wait!" But then, his smile faded.

I cocked my head to the side. "What's wrong?"

He waved a hoof. "Nothin'. Just don't want the night to end."

'Me neither,' I thought, catching a glimpse of the clock on the wall. 'But it has to.'

Before I could get too lost in my thoughts, Ochre showed up one more time. "We've come to the final dish, gentlecolts, and I must say, our chef was jealous of your creations." He set the boxes in front of us. They were tied up just like before, but now I had the box with the yellow ribbon, and Braeburn had the box with the blue.

I snapped to attention. "You first!"

Braeburn was half a beat late. "You fi– Dammit! Haha!" He snuggled up to me, and Ochre arranged the boxes so that he could open his more easily. "Let's see…" He pulled the ribbon painfully slowly, and as it folded open, he gasped and put a hoof to his heart. "Aw, Soarin'." Braeburn looked up at me. "You made me an apple tree!"

I bumped his shoulder with my nose. "Told you I'd get you one."

Braeburn paused, and he sucked in a few quick, deep breaths. He threw his hooves around me. "Thank you," he… sobbed. His cheek brushed mine. It was wet. "You're beautiful."

My heart hitched up to my throat, and I hugged him back. "You, too, babe."

Braeburn pulled back. "No use cryin' yet." He wiped his eyes with a fetlock. "Open yours."

"Okay," I said, my wings twitching. I pulled the ribbon slowly, eyeing Braeburn. When the box finally unfolded, my eyes opened wide. It was a stuffed pastry shaped like our cutie marks: his overlaid on mine and masterfully painted with the shiny glaze. The red apple was nestled between the curves of the blue wave, with the lightning bolt through the middle. My eyes watered slightly, and I smiled. "It's perfect, Braeburn."

We kissed deeply, and Ochre snapped a photo of us that he promised to mail me (part of their "anticipating every need" policy).

I nuzzled Braeburn, but when I looked at the pastry again, I had to stifle a laugh. "So, uh, Applebutt…."

Braeburn laughed and groaned. "Yes, Soarin'?" He knew what was coming.

I squeezed him. "Was it supposed to look so suggestive? 'Cuuuuuz it kinds looks like the bottom half of a blue pony lightning-fucking that apple's ass."

Braeburn was already laughing and hiding his face in my neck. "Ah, I know! I know! I didn't notice until I was already halfway done." He looked up at me. "I guess the meanings are a bit layered."

Ochre excused himself, telling us we were free to leave whenever we were ready. We thanked him, and then we laughed and hugged some more. When we finally felt up to it, we fed each other our desserts, each of us taking tiny bites. Braeburn even sucked on my hoof a little to get the filling off. After relaxing and watching the sun begin to set with no words between us, we stood up and left, pressing our bodies against each other on the way out.

The long walk back from downtown was good for us. It helped us digest what had actually been a very large meal. We had another conversation about nothing, though Braeburn did eventually comment, "This has been an amazing day, Blue. We headin' to the concert now?"

I playfully batted him with my wing. "Hey! I didn't guess stuff on your date."

His nose scrunched. "Sorry, couldn't help it."

We took a cab back to the outskirts of the city and the large concert area. The whole ride, Braeburn was… quiet. He was still huddled up to me, but he kept looking out the window and frowning, and our conversation dropped off. Every minute or so, he'd hug me tightly or close his eyes and rest his face against mine, and without any other way to comfort him, I hugged him back. I needed him to know that I was still there for him.

Music was playing as we stepped out of the cab, just like it had been all day, even though the headliners hadn't started yet. I'd gotten us a private cloud to sit in. The organizers had crafted several flat clouds with chest-high walls, and there was a little banner we could flip over the side when we wanted to get down. Braeburn and I crawled onto our cloud, but Braeburn was looking down, his ears flat against his head. A technician moved us to our spot, which was close enough to see but not enough to lose our hearing, and I asked him, "You okay?"

Braeburn didn't say anything. Instead, he looked up at the band, a deep frown on his face, and even though we were already lying next to each other, he tried to move closer, until our heads were propping each other up. We sat and listened to the sad banjo of a bluegrass group, cuddling, as Celestia began lowering the sun from somewhere we couldn't see.

The light faded, and Braeburn and I remained close together. I wanted to enjoy the moment. I wanted to make sure Braeburn was still having the time of his life. I wanted to hang onto our freefall for a little longer.

But… Braeburn was breathing heavily. He blinked quickly, over and over again. I kept my wing around him tight, but soon, he shuddered, and as gently as I could, I asked, "What's wrong, Braeburn?"

He was silent for a moment, and then he looked away. "I…"

"You can tell me anything."

Braeburn heaved a large breath, but before he could say anything, trumpets blared suddenly as members of the Royal Guard filled the main stage. Everypony but us clopped their hooves as Celestia entered, gave a short speech, and lowered the sun its last few degrees. She thanked everypony for coming and made her grand exit, and within seconds, technicians were staging for Sapphire Shores' show.

But I wasn't paying attention to that. I'd put a foreleg around Braeburn along with my wing, and he shook more and more as time went on. He started sobbing, and I frowned. "Braeburn, c'mon. What's wrong?" With my free wing, I brushed the underside of his chin, gently lifting it. Quietly, I said, "Please don't hide from me. Not tonight."

Braeburn looked up at me, his eyes watering and his voice shaky. "I know what this is, Soarin'."

I froze in place. For a moment, I felt all my strength leave me, and my grip loosened. 'He knows.' That thought spun in my mind over and over and over again, and it made it all real. I felt us falling again, and the ground was so, so close. "Wha…" I wanted to deny it and comfort him and tell him he didn't need to worry, but… it was happening again. It was another one of those rare moments where everything is finally clear, and all I could do was pull him in for a close hug. I sighed. "I'm… not very subtle, am I?"

"Heh." Braeburn rubbed his head against my neck, and his soft mane tickled me. "Not really, no. I… figured it out on Thursday. You were actin' weird, and I kept thinkin' about it all day, and… and I realized that you wanted to make me feel better in case I had to…" He was huffing and sobbing. "Y–… You want me to–" He choked on his words and took a shuddering breath.

There was a long pause. The crowd murmured below us.

As weak as I felt, my love for Braeburn sustained me. I drew strength from it, enough strength to hold him close and say, "I want tonight to be perfect for you, Braeburn. We can be sad later."

From the stage, we heard a loud, sultry voice boom, "Helloooo, Baltimare!" The crowd cheered. Lights flashed on, and a pulsing beat dropped as Sapphire Shores appeared in a shower of sparks onstage.

Braeburn hugged me again. "Then, I-I'll be damned if I let you down."

I grit my teeth and forced my sadness down, focusing on the one thing that mattered. "I love you, Braeburn."

"I love you, too, Soarin'." With a sad smile, he stood up and offered his hoof.

I looked at it, then up to him, that smiling face with those sad, tired eyes. For all the dark thoughts that could have overtaken me, when I looked at him, only one thing came to mind. 'Tonight, I get to dance with Braeburn. I get to spend time with the pony I love.' I took his hoof and stood up, and the excitement buzzed through me, from the tips of my wings to the bottom of my hooves, just like it had when we'd first met.

We danced together in our little secluded nightclub. The bright, colorful lights shot out from the stage and pierced our cloud, giving it a pulsing glow as the loud, rhythmic, loud music played.

And we didn't hold back. Braeburn bucked and danced around, melding his hometown style with some moves he must have picked up at our party with the 'Bolts. I did, too, and even in the cooling night, we sweated and panted and lost ourselves to the music, bumping up on each other as much as we could and kissing every chance we got.

We danced through most of Sapphire's set, which was only six songs. By the middle of the last one, Braeburn was laughing and hanging onto me and giggling as I nibbled on his ear. "Soarin'! Haha! Soarin'!"

"Whaaaaat?" I nibbled again, earning a shudder from him, but he overwhelmed me and pinned me on my back on the cloud. "Hey!" We laughed some more.

Once we'd calmed down, Braeburn looked into my eyes and stroked my mane. Sapphire was belting out one of her biggest hits, but even that was drowned out by the voice of the stallion I love. "You're a dream, Soarin'."

I smiled and kissed his hoof. "You having a good night?"

His smile widened. "The best of my life."

My heart welled with happiness. With a free hoof, I traced his chest. "I'm glad, Braeburn. That's what I wanted. I want it to be perfect for you. If there's anything else you want, I'll make it happen."

He coyly batted his eyes at me. "Anything?"

He was being goofy. He was having fun. He wasn't worried about the next day, and that made all the difference. "Name it."

Slowly, he lowered his head to the side of my face and nuzzled me. For a moment, he lay there, relaxing in my embrace, and I could feel his chest rise and fall. Finally, gently, he drew a calm breath and whispered into my ear, "I wanna make love with you, Soarin' Windsong."


Art by Lucky Fly

My heart fluttered, and I kissed his neck. I whispered back, "There's nopony I'd rather do it with, Braeburn Apple."

Without standing, we flipped the banner on the side of our cloud. A tech came and pulled us to the loading area just as Coloratura was starting a set with a beautiful piano piece, and as we left, I gave our seats to some lucky fans. We got in one of the cabs, and since we'd left the concert so early, it was a quick trip back to the hotel.

* * * * *

The sun's dying light paints our cloud a fading gold. It gets darker by the moment, and I stare at Soarin'.

His eyes are unfocused, and a few tears streak down his cheeks, tracing the bags under his eyes and falling silently onto the cloud below. Slowly, deliberately, he takes Braeburn's hat from his head. He sits back on the bench, stares at the hat, and strokes it with one hoof. He closes his eyes and, with a shaky smile on his face, draws a breath.

* * * * *

The door of our hotel room closed with a heavy, echoing click. It had so much finality behind it that I felt queasy, and it made me realize how much of my future was in this tiny, intimate hotel room. I locked the door and turned around, and Braeburn was closing the shades, shutting out the city and leaving us with a dim gem lamp that bathed the room in a soft, buttery yellow light. My gaze kept trying to fall to the floor, but I held my eyes up to his. "Braeburn, we can… just cuddle if you want."

He smiled sadly. "I told you. I want this, Big Blue. Don't you?"

I didn't need to think. "More than anything."

With slow steps, he walked up to me. "Me, too." He closed his eyes and opened his mouth as he leaned in.

And I felt the fire again, both familiar and new all at once. A small voice told me to hold back and keep from letting this moment slip into a lusty haze, but I couldn't resist. I didn't want to resist. I touched my lips to Braeburn's, softly at first, but soon, I had a hoof around his neck, pulling him in closely as I voraciously sucked on his mouth. My wings unfurled and explored his body, from his sides to his shoulders to his face. I pressed in until our chests touched through our clothes, and I kissed the back of his neck while he nibbled on my shoulder. His heart was beating as fast as mine, and our fur bristled with each groan and suckling noise.

"Oh, Soarin'…" he moaned.

The room grew warmer, and Braeburn shuddered as my wing softly caressed his belly. Breathing heavily, Braeburn sat down and furiously unbuttoned my shirt. I snuck kisses on the top of his head, and he stood up to kiss me again. I worked his rough tongue with mine while I frantically wiggled out of my shirt, but it didn't bother either of us. We were already breathing so hard and feeling the heat rise all around us. We kept kissing, barely apart from each other long enough to breathe. At the back of my mind, my primal lust flared up, and I had to see all of him. I undressed him as quickly as I could, even though my hooves were shaking and I was already getting dizzy with excitement. I didn't even get the last button off before I mashed my face into his muscular chest, still sweaty from the dancing. The smell was intoxicating. I breathed in as much as I could. Braeburn pressed me closer to him, and I could feel his heartbeat on my cheek.

My mouth to his muscle, I groaned, "Oh, dammit, Braeburn." I dragged my tongue across his chest, earning another shudder and filling my mouth with that delicious, sweaty taste of his skin.

"Mm…" With a shaky hoof, Braeburn undid his last button and slipped out of his shirt, and I ran my face and my tongue along his shoulder and his side, pressing as much of my body into him as I could. He was so solid. I knew I wouldn't knock him over, and that made me want to give my body over to him all the more. I rested my chin on his back, between his flanks, and he playfully whipped his tail across my neck. That sent me reeling, and I reached around to hug his middle. I nipped lightly at his lower back, and my head flooded with a desire to give in and bite harder and let him bite me.

I could feel Braeburn kissing me on that same spot, right in the center of my back, and he brushed himself against my wing. As I nibbled on him, he grunted and gasped, and he gently teased me with his hoof. His soft touch made me quiver, and my legs nearly gave out as we continued to play with each other, making as much contact as we could.

We circled around each other, different parts of our bodies coming into contact. I was dizzy, and it was like exploring new territory all over again. It felt fresh. New. Pure. There wasn't any tomorrow. There was only that moment, and there was only us.

"Aw, dammit, Soarin'," Braeburn sighed, running his body against mine. His face brushed mine, and my head swam. "I want you, Soarin'. I need you."

I suckled his neck. "I'm all yours, Brae." I was already panting.

Braeburn pushed me with his whole body, guiding me to the bed. We stumbled a few times, and I lay down on my back with my wings spread wide, just how I knew he liked it. He half-moaned, half-chuckled when he saw them. "Still ain't fair."

The mattress squeaked once as he crawled onto me. We didn't have time for subtlety. He was on top of me in seconds, because he wanted me. I was wanted, and I wanted him, and we were going to give ourselves completely to each other.

Braeburn wrapped all of his limbs around me tightly, and we kissed again, moaning into each other's mouths. I held him close to me and wrapped us up in my wings, and we held on tight as love flowed freely between us without words. For that night, he was still my Applebutt, and his body was as welcoming and familiar as my wings.

We panted together, huffing and alternating between kissing and catching our breath. I couldn't even keep track of everything I was feeling, but every point of contact seemed like a gateway to the stars, and my whole body crackled with pent-up desire. Fervently, I grabbed him and rolled us both to the side, putting my body on top of his. I broke our kiss and looked down.

And I stopped. He was there, looking up at me. Braeburn. My coltfriend. The stallion I love, the one who'd taken me so far and taught me so much. My mouth hung open, and I thought, 'I can't do this. This can't end. I love him. I'll always love him.'

But Braeburn didn't let me down. He cocked his head to the side. His lips were parted in a slight smile, and his eyes had the soft look that only a lover can give. Gently, he reached a hoof up to stroke my face, and he whispered, "Don't you stop now, Big Blue."

I closed my eyes and just felt him. His hoof on my face… I opened my eyes and whispered back, "Never."

I dove back down onto him, and the fire roared back to life. We melted together one more time, the line between us blending into a sweaty mix of blue and yellow.

For one last night, we were together, our bodies as vulnerable and exposed and close to each other as we could ever hope to be, and I wanted to feel it all. I… I wanted to be it all. Somewhere deep in my mind, I… knew what was h-happening, and I needed to savor it, to make it a part of me so that I could never really lose him. The smell of sweat and fur and apples and feathers, the feeling of his hard muscles and soft mane, the sound of his hushed moans. I wanted to keep it, to hold onto it forever. The taste of his mouth and his skin, his gorgeous face and sparkling eyes, and more than anything, the love that we felt for each other in an undying loop. Every piece of us, every sensation that made me fall even more deeply, madly, impossibly in love with him, everything that he had taught me and helped me understand was searing itself onto my soul forever.

We wanted it to last, but all too soon, my wings unfurled, wild and untamed, and I knocked the gem lamp from the nightstand. And as it hit the ground with a pop, my world burst into color, every hue you could imagine, filling every one of my senses with a wondrous flash of light. The sounds, the smells, the feeling of every tiny bit of him all melded into a dazzling, consuming fire, full of wonder and passion and our souls flowing freely between our two bodies, like we were meeting for the first time all over again. We held onto each other with our legs and our lips, grasping at that moment and that light and trying to live in that flare of brilliant color forever.

But all too quickly, the light began to fade, and inevitably, the moment passed.

Our lips parted, and we gasped for breath, pressing our faces against each other in the cool, deep darkness. We held on, our legs exhausted, as our breathing faded from frantic gasps to loud panting to deep, sucking breaths in each other's ears. Our grips loosened just slightly, and we came crashing down back into the reality of what had been and what was about to be.

Neither of us moved, and it was quiet.

My thoughts still weren't coherent. All I knew was that I didn't want to let go. I couldn't. And from the way he was still holding me, Braeburn couldn't, either.

Another moment passed without our consent.

I arched my back to get up, but Braeburn flinched and squeezed me tighter. He still couldn't let go, and for another heartbeat, we felt closer than we'd ever dreamed possible.

We… stayed there, entangled in the quiet for several minutes more.

Utterly silent.

And Braeburn finally… H-he…

Braeburn f-finally whispered, "I can't do it, Soarin'."

And my heart collapsed. I knew he could. I knew he had to, for both of us, but I couldn't force him. My throat tightened, and I hugged him. No words felt like they could ever possibly be enough.

Braeburn broke the silence again. "Please don't be mad. Please just… please just hold me tonight. I need you, Soarin'. I still need you."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I tried to whisper, "Okay," but it caught in my throat. Instead, I slowly rolled off of him, the creak of the bed echoing in the silence, and I positioned myself behind him. We spooned, facing away from the window. A tiny sliver of light peeked in through the curtains.

My teeth clenched, and my mind raged. 'Why not? Why fucking not? I love you, Braeburn! Don't do this! I love you too much. You have to leave me. You have to leave me!' My skull felt like it had crashed into the tree all over again, but I wouldn't get mad. I wouldn't hurt Braeburn again.

I wanted to say something. Anything. But I kept imagining Braeburn living back at our condo in Cloudsdale. I kept seeing him miserable, wasting away, but there we were. I couldn't make him leave. I felt so crushed, so small and inadequate. It felt like Mom leaving and Dad dying and the 'Bolts firing me all at once, all because Braeburn wanted to stay. The one thing I thought I'd wanted for so long was burning me to nothing from the inside out.

We lay there for several minutes until Braeburn weakly said, "I love you, Big Blue."

And even if no other words would come to me, I knew he had to hear these: "I love you, too, Applebutt. I always will."

Braeburn didn't respond. Instead, he reached up to my hoof and pulled me closer, like a blanket, and I held him.

I… don't know if it was the stress or the long day or the exertion – or maybe his brain just couldn't take any more – but Braeburn fell asleep in my forelegs within minutes. But it wasn't a good sleep. He fidgeted, and even in the dark, with the little light that crept in around the curtains, I could see his eyes twitch beneath his eyelids, and his breaths were quick and shallow.

Fifteen minutes. An hour. Two. His sleep was so disturbed. He was in so much pain.

And even as we fell together that last distance, the ground approaching rapidly, far away from the highs we'd known together, the only feeling inside me was, 'Please don't feel sad, Braeburn. I want you to be happy.' Gently, I stretched a wing out and traced the features of his face, making out every detail I could.

My throat felt tight. My eyes burned. And yet, words came to me, bubbling up from my heart, and I couldn't keep them in.

"It's okay, Braeburn," I whispered. "You can say it. I promise I won't be mad. I want you to be happy, even if it means we can't be together." I squeezed lightly. "That's what's important to me. It means more than everything else in the world. It's okay."

As I spoke, Braeburn's breathing slowed, and his eyes settled down. He… h-he felt calm.

Tears quietly fell from my face and rapped against my pillow. "I'll always love you, Braeburn, and I promise I'll be fine." For the first time in my life, I believed it, but then, I wasn't concerned about myself. "You don't need to worry. It's okay to leave me. It's okay."

He relaxed in my embrace, and even though I never wanted to close my eyes, never wanted the night to end, seeing the love of my life finally be at peace brought me crashing down. My wing retracted, and sleep took me as I whispered, "It's okay to leave. I love you. It's okay. It's okay."

I…

I… felt him get up that morning. I felt him slide away, but I didn't reach for him. Instead, I kept my eyes closed and pleaded with time. 'Not yet. Don't let me wake up yet. Don't make him have to say it yet.'

And for once, the world gave me a break, and I fell back asleep.

The… curtains were open when I woke up, and the gem lamp had been placed back on the bedside nightstand. The first hint of sunrise warmed the back of my neck. My forelegs were empty, and the bed next to me was cold.

No thoughts. Just feelings, and even then, it was just one.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up, taking in a long breath that I let out slowly. Apple and sweat and Wonderbolt. When I finally looked up towards the window, I saw a golden earth pony staring back at me, wearing his favorite hat and vest and sitting with a packed suitcase next to him. The sun shone across his face, and his eyes sparkled. He was beautiful.

But he wore a forced, broken smile, and his eyes were wet, and his cheeks were streaked with tears. Slowly, his mouth opened, and he took a shallow breath to push out quiet words.

"I love you, Soarin'."